VANCOUVER — Talks about building a soccer-specific stadium in Vancouver are intrinsically tied to keeping a Major League Soccer team in the city, says the club’s CEO and sporting director.
“We are only working on one plan, one goal, and this is to keep the club in Vancouver and to find a very good setup for the future for this club in Vancouver,” Axel Schuster told reporters Saturday. “And part of all of this is to look in every possible option that might be needed to do this successfully.”
The Whitecaps announced Friday that the club and the City of Vancouver are discussing the construction of a venue at the PNE fairgrounds on the city’s eastern edge.
The City of Vancouver confirmed via email Friday night that “discussions at a high level” have taken place with the team.
Talks about potentially building a new stadium arose after the Whitecaps ownership group — made up of Greg Kerfoot, Steve Luczo, Jeff Mallett and former NBA star Steve Nash — announced in December it was putting the club up for sale, Schuster said.
“The ownership group hasn’t given up on the club, and the ownership group isn’t running away. They have the biggest interest that this club stays here, finds a successful setup, that we find a next ownership group,” he said.
“And part of the job that we have started (in December) was to provide this potential next new owner all options that we also think might be of interest and might be needed to make it successful.”
Many details about the potential new stadium project remain unclear, including who would pay for the new venue and where on the PNE fairgrounds property it would be located.
“We are not open to sharing now more details about where we are (in talks) and with whom we are speaking. We are at the beginning of a process. I think we felt confident enough to say this looks like a very good process,” Schuster said.
“The city is very supportive and has come to these conversations very open minded. But it is the beginning, and I think we will come back with more details if we have really something to share.”
The Whitecaps currently play their home games at B.C. Place, a 55,000-seat stadium located in Vancouver’s downtown core.
Opened in 1983, B.C. Place is owned by a provincial Crown corporation that leases it to a wide variety of tenants, including the Whitecaps and the CFL’s B.C. Lions. The venue is also used for non-sporting events, including concerts — including the final three dates of Taylor Swift’s Era’s tour last December — and trade shows.
The Whitecaps’ current lease is up for renewal at the end of 2025 and Schuster said the club is in conversation with the stadium’s owners about “a different type of lease” for the team’s future.
“Because B.C. Place is the best stadium we have in British Columbia, and it will be still the only stadium next year when we need a new lease,” Schuster said, adding he’s optimistic they will find “a good solution.”
PavCo issued a statement Friday saying it understands Whitecaps ownership is exploring “several options for their future.”
“B.C. Place is proud to be the current home venue for the Vancouver Whitecaps and we value our partnership with them,” the statement said.
“Everyone at B.C. Place and PavCo remains committed to working closely with the Whitecaps as they shape the future of the team and we will continue to explore the best ways to support the overall growth of soccer in British Columbia.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 5, 2025.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
